How to accomplish your daily tasks with dizziness: 6 tips and tricks to pace with dizziness
How to get through your 'To Do' List & Daily Tasks with Dizziness
Energy conservation (or pacing) is a way to listen to your body and strategize your day to get chores done while minimizing fatigue and dizziness as much as possible. Read on to learn how to get through your ‘to do’ list and daily tasks with dizziness, learn why it’s hard, ways to get it done today!
Phone Battery Analogy
Use a 0-100% battery meter to gauge your energy levels and dizziness on any given day. Keep in mind tasks you do will drain your batter, just like using your phone will drain it. Don’t let your energy battery (or phone battery) reach zero. It’s easier to charge when you’re at 70-80% than when you’re at 10%.
6 Tips & Tricks to Pace with Dizzness
Take a look at these 6 tips to strategize your day. Consider your energy/dizzy battery for the day and these tips to map out your day. Reminder, it’s okay to ask for help, to prep part of a task for a later day (like soaking dishes), or delegate to another family member or service.
Some days we have big plans to get things done, but we wake up with increase symptoms, fatigue, and a lower body battery. That’s okay, it’s not your fault and you are not a failure. Focus on what can be done, including self care to have the capacity for your list another time.
Household and Daily Tasks with Dizziness: The Breakdown
In this section we’ll cover some common household chores or daily tasks and discuss why they’re challenging and ways to make them easier.
Our premium content members also have guidance on movements and strength exercises to increase their tolerance to these tasks. Doing exercises and movement will make tasks easier to do in the future. Learn more here.
Dishes
Why it’s difficult:
- Repetitive body movement (from sink to rinse to drying rack)
- eye tracking
- standing balance
How to pace with dizziness:
- Use the dishwasher if available
- stack dishes to move more at once and reduce large/repetitive movements
- soak dishes to make cleaning easier and faster
- wash multiple items before rinsing to reduce movements
- try a suction glass cleaner to take some of the effort of off you.
Laundry
Why it’s difficult:
- lots of up/down movements
- busy visuals
- noise/smells/light depending on the environment
- mental energy to sort and fold
How to pace with dizziness:
- ask for help. Have family take their own pile of laundry to put away or fold
- do folding and sorting seated
- Make laundry your one task for the day. Break down the tasks to give yourself rest time
- don’t fold everything! I’ve started to keep clothes I don’t mind being wrinkly in fabric bins. When I sort laundry I can put my socks in the sock bin, delicates in the delicate bin, and workout shirts/shorts in their bin. Cuts down my laundry time and I realized how much folding I did for things that I didn’t care about needing to be folded.
Stairs
Why it’s difficult:
- physically demanding
- looking down
- visually challenging: seeing both near and far
How to pace with dizziness:
- Use the railing when available
- reduce trips by doing all tasks on the top floor and then going downstairs for tasks
- keep a basket at each end to place objects in that need to go up/down to avoid multiple trips. A great way to get others to help as well!
Cooking
Why it’s difficult:
- looking down
- balancing
- lots of turning and reaching
- tracking
- focus
How to pace with dizziness:
- use some prepped foods like pre cut veggies
- do food prep in sitting when able
- Find simple recipes, The Dizzy Cook is an awesome resource, her cookbook is here
- have some easy frozen and pre baked meals
- use a slow cooker
Computer Time
Why it’s difficult:
- tracking and scanning
- head position and posture
- mental fatigue and concentration
- light sensitivity
How to pace with dizziness:
- ergonomics for better computer posture (some extra tips for set up here)
- avalux glasses (code: VERTIGODOC will you get $25 off) or other blue light blocking lenses
- taking breaks with the 20-20-20 rule
Reading
Why it’s difficult:
- mental fatigue and concentration
- tracking and scanning
- head position and posture
How to pace with dizziness:
- audiobooks when able
- use your finger to help track the line you’re reading
- take breaks
Showering, Grocery Shopping, Escalators, Elevators, the dentist/hair dresser, cleaning the house, gardening and more!
Learn why wall these tasks are challenging, ways to get these tasks done now and products that help, and how to work on movements to improve all of the tasks listed today! All of this and more is included in our supportive community at Vestibular Group Fit! Find out more at this link: https://thevertigodoctor.com/about-group/
Disclaimer:
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
1 thought on “How to accomplish your daily tasks with dizziness: 6 tips and tricks to pace with dizziness”
Thank you for sharing. It is very informative and helpful tips.